Can You Legislate Away Internet Addiction?

from the China's-gonna-try dept

A little over a year ago, China tried to limit how much time people spent playing video games by mandating that games get harder after 3 straight hours of use. After plenty of complaints, they backed down and said the rule would only apply to those under 18. Some of the reports noted that this was really a way for the Chinese government to try to keep people out of internet cafes, as they have less ability to control what people do online in the cafes (though, it doesn't stop them from wandering around the cafes staring over peoples' shoulders to see what they're doing). The latest is that they're now working on legislation to ban anyone under 16 from going into an internet cafe. The official reasoning, however, isn't about the cafes, but about how this is a way to stop internet addiction. Of course, this is also the same country that set up a detox house for internet addicts -- so maybe they're onto something.

Of course you can. Just like how legislation has gotten rid of drugs and cigarettes and alchol and air and water (im addicted to air and water, if I dont have it I will go through some serious withdrawls).

It is nobodies business but the person in question as to how much time they spend on the internet, or where they go and what they do for that matter. A government that censors/legislates everything is a government that fears its citizens. A government that fears its citizens is a BAD government, that has evil plots up its sleeve. You better get used to it, though. It won't be long before we are sitting here in the USA thinking "damn, didn't I used to have freedom? What the hell happened?" Government is the cause of all problems, and never the solution. China, good luck keeping your people in the dark. In the 21st century, it is going to be very difficult.

Pointless Legislation

We shouldn't be writing laws to get rid of anything addictive. At the base of human behavior, we're letting the government make choices for us, removing big points of responsibility from our lives. It's because of this that we continue to even talk about allowing the gov to make legislation over this type of crap.

If someone is so damn pathetic that they are actually mentally addicted to THE INTERNET, so let it be. They probably belong online and off the streets anyway. And as for kids, I'm sorry, but the Gov shouldn't be our kid's parents either. It's time for the REAL parents to maybe take some freaking responsibility over their children and MAYBE tell them "NO" when the kid wants to play longer on their game or online.

But of course all of this would require, like stated above, that people do things for themselves. Sadly, there's not the road we're headed down. We keep giving up responsibility in governing ourselves over to the Gov and we are now seeing what that's worth. The problem won't fix itself either. Guess we'll just have to wait and see if this country starts growing up and acting like adults, instead of looking to the Gov like a bunch of children each time we're presented with a problem.